Black bark in garden near pool.....GOOD IDEA /BAD IDEA? HELP

[mihzyd777]

Hello All,

Thank you so far for being so knowledgable at helping me out with questions in the past. I turn to you again for lessons learned.
I just move to my house and I have a decent size yard. The previous owners place small river rock in the garden area surrounding the back and one side of the pool. I want to change it out because it's old, cold and dry looking. I'm going for more of the tropical look. So I was going to put in Black bark.

People are telling me it's a ad idea and that it fly's all over and into the pool etc..etc.. making it basically sound like a nightmare. Where I live here in Northern California, it can get windy, but on the back and side of the pool where the bark will go it doesn't blow towards the pool, it blows away and into the fence.

Does anyone here have any experience, or lessons learned with Black bark next to pools?

Thanks for your help in advance!

Mike

 

[dmanb2b]

My friends have an inground with mulch surrounding the patio surround, inside the fenced in pool area...the mulch is constantly floating on the water and entering his skimmer...kids just can't keep there wet feet off the stuff...if it's outside of your fence then possibly it could work..otherwsie I would suggest decorative stone

 

[anonapersona]

I once used "black bark" in my beds, it stained my knees black and I do believe they are discolored still, a year later! That stuff is dyed, at least the version here is. I'll never use it again.

 

[TizMe]

Friends of ours have an in ground pool and put mulch around it. Then we had torrential rains for a few days (this is last year) and the mulch was no longer around the pool in the gardens. It had washed into the pool with the run off !! :blah:

 

[h2ctpdjl]

I am assuming you are not talking about bringing the mulch right up alongside the pool? If so, then that would be a definite no no. I am also assuming you have some type of deck or concrete area around the pool area that you want to mulch around? I have had mulched gardens surrounding the concrete area around my pool for three years now and I do not have a problem with the mulch getting into my pool at all. My only problem is my dog running through it and dragging it into my house! Torrential rains aren't a problem either, as the surrounding area is properly sloped away from the pool. I have a wide area of concrete that surrounds my pool, so that definitely helps. If anyone needs to enter the yard from the pool area, they walk on the stepping stones I have placed in the gardens just for that purpose. If only I could train my dog to use them!

 

[mihzyd777]

Yes I do have a 3 or 4' wide deck around the front and sides. The back is only about 2ft. wide but it's raised a little higher than the garden. Do you think I'll be ok?

Thanks!

Mike

 

[h2ctpdjl]

I would think it would work as long as the mulch does not get above the concretd area. My mulch has packed down pretty tightly and it doesnt blow around at all. There are differnt types of mulch. I only use the hard wood.